Today, renowned insider Tom Henderson published a new report on Ubisoft Montpellier's Beyond Good & Evil 2. Henderson was able to take a look at screenshots and footage grabbed from the recent external playtesting, judging that the game still looked rough and at least a couple of years away from a potential release. Playtesting sources also felt that Beyond Good & Evil 2 lacks direction in its current incarnation.

　　Beyond Good & Evil 2 was originally revealed during Ubisoft's E3 2017 press conference as a sci-fi multiplayer space opera. Here's the publisher's official description provided at the time.

　　Journey to System 3 for the prequel to one of Ubisoft’s most beloved games! Fight alongside unforgettable characters in a stunning new solar system as you struggle for freedom and the right to determine your own fate among the stars. Play the adventure by yourself or with friends in a vast and seamless online playground.

　　In this Action-Adventure, you can play alone or with friends. Everyone will take part in the intense action and drama found throughout System 3’s planets, moons and space. Beyond Good & Evil 2 is being developed on Voyager, a new proprietary engine and set of tools the team at Ubisoft Montpellier spent three years building. This breakthrough technology is capable of generating vast worlds, tailor-made territories with rich, gorgeous environments, and robust online systems.

　　Beyond Good & Evil 2 is the spiritual successor to the cult classic, a prequel that will transport players into a profoundly multicultural world, capturing the spirit of the original with grandiose decors and intense dramas that play out across a vast universe. Through the Space Monkey Program, Ubisoft Montpellier will be developing the game alongside its community of fans.

　　System 3 has become the center of interstellar trade and colonization in the Milky Way of the 24th century, thanks to the creation of Hybrid slaves. While private enterprises fight over resources and power, the first colonists weave together the rich and diverse spiritual and cultural heritages of Old Earth to give meaning to their existence. In this new era of piracy, we will rise from lowly pirate to legendary captain at the helm of massive star-faring vessels, adventuring alongside crews of colorful characters to fight for freedom and the right to determine our own fate among the stars.

　　It's been a long time, though. Beyond Good & Evil 2 could have since taken a very different direction. As a reminder, series creator Michel Ancel left the studio and the gaming industry two years ago.

　　There's a chance the game might make an appearance at next month's Ubisoft Forward event.